Last week, the FTC released a video, “Complying with the Funeral Rule,” to help funeral professionals comply with the Funeral Rule. While the video contains helpful information about the major requirements of the Funeral Rule, it also contains incorrect information regarding the goods and services that must be included on the General Price List.
The video offers the following advice: “This General Price List should include all of the items and services that you offer, and the cost of each item.”
According to a letter sent by NFDA General Counsel Scott Gilligan to the FTC:
“[This] statement is inaccurate and does not reflect the requirements of the Funeral Rule. The Funeral Rule requires a funeral home to provide on the General Price List the following 16 specified items of goods and services if the funeral home offers them for sale:
- Forwarding of remains to another funeral home;
- Receiving of remains from another funeral home;
- Direct cremation
- Immediate burial
- Basic services of funeral director and staff;
- Transfer of remains to the funeral home
- Embalming
- Other preparation of the body
- Use of facilities and staff for viewing
- Use of facilities for staff for funeral ceremony
- Use of facilities and staff for memorial service
- Use of equipment and staff for graveside service
- Hearse
- Limousine
- Individual casket prices of the range of casket prices that appear on the Casket Price list; and
- Outer burial prices of the range of outer burial container prices that appear on the Outer Burial Container Price List.”
These items, according to Gilligan’s letter, may be listed in any order. A funeral home must only list the items it actually offers; if an item is not offered, it need not be listed. If a funeral home offers other goods and services it may also include them on the General Price List but it is not required to do so.
In the letter, Gilligan asks, on NFDAs behalf, that the FTC correct the erroneous information in the video.
Click here to read Gilligan’s letter to the FTC. NFDA will keep you apprised of the FTC’s response to the letter.
Additional FTC Funeral Rule Compliance Resources:
• Visit the NFDA website
• Plan to attend the “Annual All-Staff Funeral Rule Training” teleconference on May 9
• NFDA members may contact Gilligan for a free consultation. He can be reached at 513-871-6332
[via: NFDA.org]
